Litchfield, Ill. – Thursday, March 31, 2011 – Schutt Sports Marketing Communications Manager Glenn Beckmann spoke last week to 50 members of the Directors of Athletics Association of New Jersey (DAANJ) about the state of the company and its plans for the future.
The presentation focused primarily on Schutt’s signature technology and the 2012-2013 product pipeline; the company’s confidence in its new ownership group, Platinum Equity; and recent developments regarding Schutt Reconditioning – including the renewal of a multi-year lease in Easton, which saved almost 200 jobs and ultimately is creating new ones.
“We wanted to share all that Schutt Reconditioning has done in the past 24 months, especially because everyone at DAANJ is so close to the story," Beckmann said. "Not only has Schutt Recon weathered the storm of the past three years – it’s now a leader in the industry, doing things better than anyone else and growing the business in some key areas.”
Beckmann also showed Schutt's varsity helmet lineup, as well as its TPU Cushioning, which eliminates the traditional foam padding and replaces it with a series of cushions that absorb and reduce the force of impact from a collision.
The technology is one of the ways Schutt is fighting to protect athletes from concussions and injuries. However, Beckmann emphasized there is no way to produce a helmet that is concussion-free.
“The technology in helmets can only go so far,” Beckmann said. “They were originally designed to prevent skull fractures, and to overcome the concussion crisis will take a concerted effort from everyone. We need to make better equipment; players need to be taught better technique and training; coaches need to recognize the dangers of MTBIs and concussions and how to deal with them correctly; and most importantly, current rules need to be better enforced."
One such rule discussed during the presentation was the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioning Association’s (NAERA) new mandate on the 10-year-and-out policy for helmets. This rule requires helmet and equipment refurbishers, like Schutt Reconditioning, to throw out any football helmets they receive that are 10 years old or older.
Beckmann confirmed that Schutt will comply with the rule changes and then fielded questions for 30 minutes on the company, its reconditioning division and the football industry as a whole.
Schutt Sports is the largest maker of football helmets and faceguards in America.
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